Government coalition: Merz wants to save five billion in the citizens’ allowance

Before a top meeting of the Union and SPD, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) puts his social minister Bärbel BAS (SPD) under pressure with a billion-dollar savings. “If we no longer dare to save ten percent in a transfer system that runs in the wrong direction, then we fail before this task,” said Merz in an interview from Sat.1. Before the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition committee, the Chancellor also complained about the choice of words of the department and SPD boss.

BAS had given the debate about the debate about the debate about the “bullshit” social systems that can no longer be financed. “I talked to her about it,” said Merz. “I also said that we shouldn’t continue at this level either.” He did not want to accept this language of language “for the coalition as a whole”.

In the evening a meeting of Merz and Bas was planned. “I am immediately agreed with the Federal Minister of Labor for dinner,” said the Chancellor at an event at the German Football League in Berlin. “This is also part of my duties. I look forward to the end of this evening with confidence.”

Merz: Five billion must be “possible”

In the Sat.1 interview, Merz said about citizens’ money: “I am still firmly convinced that ten percent have to be saved in this system.” Citizens’ money currently costs around 50 billion euros a year. Upon request, Merz confirmed that it was about five billion euros in savings. “This is an amount that must be possible.”

Merz thus specified previous statements that have already resulted in a kind of indirect exchange of blows between the Chancellor and his Minister of Social Affairs. Before Jusos, the SPD boss said: “This debate that we can no longer afford these social security systems and this welfare state is-and I am already apologizing for the expression-bullshit.” Merz had previously announced on CDU state parliamentary days that “in the so-called citizen benefit” could not remain as it was. “The welfare state, as we have it today, can no longer be financed with what we do economically.” “Cuts” are necessary.

Bas criticizes “tongue strike”

In the magazine “Stern”, BAS complained: “Now such a tongue comes in that the economy does not run because the social systems are too expensive.” She doesn’t see it that way. “Now I had to keep against it.” This shows deep differences before Merz, BAS and the other coalition peaks meet at the Chancellor on Wednesday afternoon.

Union and SPD want to take an attempt for autumn

At their first meeting in the coalition committee, the Union and the SPD actually want to attend their next projects after the summer break. The parliamentary tips of the Union and SPD had already conjured up togetherness at an exam in Würzburg in Franconia and presented a timetable for the autumn. The promises range from cheaper energy prices to reduction in bureaucracy to planning acceleration. Merz also confirmed by interview that he sets up to 2,000 euros for the active pension with tax -free additional earnings.

It is also open how the coalition’s debacle will continue around the new occupation at the Federal Constitutional Court. After the short -term dismissal of the election from the agenda in the Bundestag, the Union and SPD had gone into the summer break in a dispute. The SPD has not yet announced a new candidate. The original candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf had declared her waiver due to resistance in the ranks of the CDU/CSU. The top of the parliamentary group could not guarantee the support promised to the SPD.

Against the background of the fundamental debate on the costs for the welfare state, the Union should be particularly interested in the citizens’ Minister of Social Affairs – even if, from BAS, it is not essentially about savings.

As it said from the ministry, there is “under high pressure” on a reform draft. The focus – this emerges from earlier statements from BAS – are likely to be subject to felling duties. For the social democrat, this is also a question of justice compared to the working center.

For long -term reforms in the social structure, a government commission should then make suggestions that constituted itself on Monday. BAS told the magazine “Stern”: “I think we now have a great chance of making our systems on their next generations. For this, we have to be creative, new thinking, for example in the question of which professional groups could be involved in the costs.”

CDA representative for inheritance tax reform

At the same time, a debate about possible tax increases continues. Finance Minister and SPD-CO chairman Lars Klingbeil (SPD) had not ruled out that taxes could be increased for top earners and wealthy. Dennis Radtke, Dennis Radtke, also spoke in favor of certain increases with the chairman of the Christian Democratic Working (CDA), Dennis Radtke. “For reasons of justice, we urgently need to close the large loopholes in inheritance tax,” said Radtke of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. This debate is primarily aimed at a foreseeable gap of more than 30 billion euros in a budget 2027. Decisions on the stuffing of these household holes are not yet to be expected.